Governor Kemp's Citizens Arrest Overhaul Gains Bipartisan Support Like Tweet Pin +1 in For Immediate Release Tuesday, February 16, 2021 Governor Kemp's Citizens Arrest Overhaul Gains Bipartisan Support Atlanta, GA Following Governor Kemp's introduction of his administration's bipartisan overhaul of Georgia's citizen's arrest statute, legislative leaders and law enforcement officials announced their support of the legislation. "We support Governor Kemp and the Legislature's efforts to address the Citizen's Arrest law in Georgia and commend their leadership on this important issue. A citizen's arrest law, properly used, can keep law-abiding Georgians and their property safe, but as we have seen in the past year, it must never be allowed to justify or excuse criminal behavior." - Attorney General Chris Carr "As society evolves, some laws may no longer apply in today's world. It is time for policymakers to review the citizen's arrest statute to ensure it is still appropriate. The Governor and the General Assembly are to be commended for their willingness to do so." GBI Director Vic Reynolds "The evolution of society and technology requires us to revise and update current laws to be applicable to the 21st Century. This law dates back to the 19th Century. The proposed legislation regarding arrests by non-law enforcement looks to correct the outdated language, which is much needed." - Colonel Chris Wright, Department of Public Safety Commissioner "I support the repeal of the Georgia Citizen's Arrest statute that has been on the law books of our state since 1863. The citizen's arrest law is outdated and ripe for abuse by those untrained citizens where 911 is widely available for calling law enforcement to respond. As with the 2020 Anti-Hate Crimes Act, now is the time to remove this cloud over our State; we should not allow citizens to take the law into their own hands and senseless violence to take place. We must act now." - Rep. Calvin Smyre, Dean of the House (D - Columbus) "I look forward to working with my colleagues in the General Assembly on this bipartisan bill to overhaul Georgia's antiquated citizen's arrest statute. Our legislation protects https://madmimi.com/p/0966f11?pact=1474546-162042481-11554464864-287f227693638249f71f03c545c7ded4b13bfa4c[2/17/2021 8:02:57 AM] Governor Kemp's Citizens Arrest Overhaul Gains Bipartisan Support business owners, clarifies the authority of law enforcement officers, and does not infringe on citizens' right to defend themselves or others from harm. This balanced approach achieves meaningful reform to prevent acts of vigilantism, while also keeping our communities safe." - Rep. Bert Reeves (R - Marietta), lead sponsor of the Citizen's Arrest Overhaul legislation "As a co-sponsor of this bill to reform Georgia 's current citizen arrest law, I'm elated that this antiquated and outdated law of 1863 is about to be repealed. In memory of Ahmaud Arbery and so many others who suffered at the hands of citizens taking the law into their own hands. We can now put an end to Georgia's past and move Georgia forward toward its future. We must become the State that to that is too busy to hate." - Rep. Carl W. Gilliard (D - Savannah) Press Contacts Mallory Blount - Press Secretary Office of Governor Brian P. Kemp mallory.blount@georgia.gov Tate Mitchell - Deputy Press Secretary Office of Governor Brian P. Kemp tate.mitchell@georgia.gov 2021 Office of Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp | Georgia State Capitol Web Version Preferences Forward Powered by Mad Mimi A GoDaddy company https://madmimi.com/p/0966f11?pact=1474546-162042481-11554464864-287f227693638249f71f03c545c7ded4b13bfa4c[2/17/2021 8:02:57 AM]